The Bad Guys (2022)

The Bad Guys

DreamWorks Animation/Scholastic Entertainment

Universal Pictures

Release date

April 22, 2022

Directed by

Pierre Perifel

Screenplay by

Etan Cohen

Based on

The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey

Produced by

Damon Ross and Rebecca Huntley

Starring

Sam Rockwell as Mr. Wolf

Marc Maron as Mr. Snake

Anthony Ramos as Mr. Piranha

Craig Robinson as Mr. Shark

Awkwafina as Ms. Tarantula

Richard Ayoade as Prof. Rupert Marmalade IV

Zazie Beetz as Diane Foxington / "The Crimson Paw"

Lilly Singh as Tiffany Fluffit

Alex Borstein as Police Chief Misty Luggins

Edited by

John Venzon

Music by

Daniel Pemberton

Interviews 3-15-2022

Alex Borstein - "Police Chief Misty Luggins"

"What does it mean to be bad? I mean that's a larger question.  Are they really bad? We have the wolf, we have a tarantula, we have a shark, we have a piranha and a snake. These are all typically characters you see in most children's fairy tales and storybooks that are usually the bad guys. They kind of get coerced into playing those roles and this movie kind of explores what does it mean to be bad? And just because you are bad at one point you aren't always bad.

My character, the police chief, has been after these bad guys since day one.  She is convinced people are incapable of change.  She's kind of always ready to try and catch these guys.  These are the bad guys, and she is convinced they will never be anything other than bad, and she must catch them, put them away and make the streets safer for the good guys."

Anthony Ramos - "Piranha"

"Mr. Piranha farts when he's trying to tell a lie, which I think is really funny.

Every single person has good in them. Sometimes we just have to get past that fear of what we think a person is."

Awkwafina - "Tarantula"

"Tarantula is feisty. She's extremely smart and good with technology.  

The group are pretty much the villains. They scare people out of restaurants and everyone's scared of them.  They steal almost for the kind of just the joy of stealing. 

I really like the way that the movie plays with the aspects of good and bad.

We see people that look bad but aren't bad and people that look good but aren't good."

Craig Robinson - "Shark"

"Shark is the cool and fun-loving one.

Everybody's terrified of them. I don't know what they did to people. but as soon as they come in on a scene, everybody's getting out of their way. They have their respect on the street." 

Lily Singh - "Tiffany Fluffit"

"I think the audience can take away a really sweet message from this whole tale.  We're looking for ways to feel fulfilled and ways to feel good. We think it's by putting people down it's by dragging someone down that makes us feel bigger/better than them. But really it's in our DNA to feel good when we help people and giving back and being mindful is always going to be a thing that makes us feel fulfilled.  It's like we're built in a way that it feels good to be selfless.  You need to tap into that." 

Marc Maron - "Snake"

"Snake is mildly insecure but very loyal.  He's kind of hot-headed. He's very committed to being awful.  I wouldn't say he has a good heart, but he's vulnerable enough to be a kind of charming in his way."

Pierre Perifel - Director

"The idea of these 5 legendary animals...the villains of every story...and just getting them to turn into good guys."

Rebecca Huntley - Producer

"It's such a different movie in that we have this very unique opportunity to embrace a style that is new and fresh. hasn't been seen before an animation representing a heist movie for kids. The Ocean's Eleven movies/the heist/the highest genre action/gangster films bringing that all together in a family-friendly environment is really new and different.

We are incredibly grateful to have Daniel Pemberton as our composer.  He's been amazing.  He's been such a great partner in this. We are just so grateful to have him writing the music for this movie." 

Richard Ayoade - "Professor Marmalade"

"Professor Marmalade is someone who very much aligns himself with the forces of good. He's very concerned to convert the bad guys to his path...that of righteousness." 

Zazie Beetz - "Diane Foxington"

"Diane Foxington is the governor. She's under control with kind of this sort of cheeky personality.  It's important to her to sort of be a positive influence on her constituents and the city. She helps to persuade the bad guys specifically Mr. Wolf to consider being good. I think what makes this movie unique is that  I've never seen a children's movie that is so action-packed. It has some great car chases.  The Heist scenes feel kind of like in Ocean's.  

I think it's a great movie on the exploration of making choices for yourself and discovering who you want to be."